Muslim Woman Denied Job Over Head Scarf Wins in Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday revived an employment discrimination lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch, which had refused to hire a Muslim woman because she wore a head scarf.

"This is really easy," Justice Antonin Scalia said in announcing the decision from the bench.

The company at least suspected that the woman, Samantha Elauf, wore the head scarf for religious reasons, Justice Scalia said, and its decision not to hire her was motivated by a desire to avoid accommodating her religious practice. That was enough, he concluded, to allow her to sue under federal employment discrimination law.